


Parent

by imastrangeone98



Series: The Past (The Mandalorian) [3]
Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Angst, Child Abandonment, F/M, Gen, Implied Childhood Sexual Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, references to slavery, references to verbal abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:21:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25544290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imastrangeone98/pseuds/imastrangeone98
Summary: Kyla had always wanted some form of closure for her family past.She finally gets it. Just not the way she imagined.
Relationships: The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)/Original Female Character(s), The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)/Reader
Series: The Past (The Mandalorian) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1843624
Comments: 2
Kudos: 42





	1. IG-07

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: references to sexual and verbal abuse. nothing explicitly graphic or violent, but just in case

"You said you escaped once."

Kyla looked up at her helmeted partner, meal bar in hand. "What do you mean?"

"The mansion at... Dandoran," he said carefully, keeping an eye on her face to check for any signs of fear. "You escaped once. How?"

She tilted her head, confusion evident in her eyes. "Are you curious?"

He supposed he was. But he remained silent. His posture spoke for him, after all- he had taken the seat in front of her, palms resting on his thighs, helmet turned in her direction.

She sighed, and set her meal bar down before turning her attention to him. "I don't think you'll like this story."

"Try me."

"Alright. And to be honest, it wasn't so much an escape than it was pure luck."

[Ten Years Ago...]

_It was unnaturally hot. Steam and mist blanketed the mansion and its caretakers in a soupy haze. It set everyone on edge; they were snappier than usual, more prone to sending young Kyla off to finish what work remained while they went off to rest in the back rooms._

_She wanted to rest too, but of course, no one wanted that, and as much as she hated it, she didn't want to push her luck without the master around. She was the young boss' favorite, which meant that whenever he was there, the slaves showered her with praise and attention, only to turn their backs the moment he left._

_They were mean. She didn't like them. It wasn't her fault that she was the youngest of the slaves, that he touched her in places she didn't like, or said mean things to her every day. But of course, she said nothing. Silence was better than feeling the sting of the metal rod on her back._

_But too many thoughts were bad, so she turned her attention back to the laundry. After making sure that the linens were delicately placed on the drying clothesline, she gathered up the basket and made to return inside, hoping to sneak into the kitchen for a glass of water-_

_BAM!_

_What sounded like blaster fire erupted from behind the door. There were loud screams coming from inside, and Kyla could see smoke pouring out from the kitchen window._

_What could she do? She was only nine years old- she wasn't nearly strong enough to take down a burglar. She was small- maybe she could find some of them and lead them to safety? Would they even want to follow her?_

_Footsteps echoed through the marble hallways. They sounded... mechanical._

_And they were coming her way._

_She panicked. She threw herself into the nearest rose bush and tucked herself into a little ball, doing her best to ignore the thorns stabbing at her soft skin._

_And she waited. And waited._

_And the footsteps drew ever closer._

_Her eyes squeezed shut. This was the end for her._

_A robotic voice pierced the crushing silence: "Identify yourself."_

[Present Day]

"A droid?" he asked, shock evident in his tone. "A droid found you?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't it kill you?"

"I... actually have no idea." She scratched her head, lost in confusion herself. "It should've shot me, like it did the others. I don't know why it didn't."

"That... that's impossible." Mando's voice dropped to a whisper, laced with bitterness. "Droids only know how to kill."

For some reason, Kyla bristled at that comment. "You didn't know this droid. Don't judge it."

"I knew enough droids," he muttered. "All of them were killers."

"Not this one. Seven was different."

"You clearly haven't met enough of them."

"And you clearly have a stick up your ass!" Her hand smacked the table so hard it sent her meal bar flying.

Neither of them spoke for a while. Then, silently, Din picked up the bar and placed it back on the table.

She sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he replied. "I made you angry."

With a turn of her head, she looked him in the eyes- or, tried to, anyway. "You did." She watched him, careful, the way a bounty would cautiously eye a hunter. "But then again, you never did like droids much."

"I have my reasons," was all he said on the matter.

She didn't push him. She let it be. "Alright."

[Ten Years Ago...]

_"Identify yourself," the droid repeated, blaster aimed precisely at the child's head._

_It looked like a bounty hunter droid, with weapons strapped onto every possible metallic surface- blasters, knives, pulse grenades- this robot had it all. Its turret-like eyes swung around multiple times, but no doubt keeping its monitors on her._

_Kyla trembled. "Please don't hurt me."_

_"Identify yourself."_

_"K- Kyla."_

_"Where is Tobblerine Drescant?"_

_She trembled. "I- I don't know, Mr.... Robot. Master Drescant only comes during the winter season."_

_The turret-like eyes continued to swivel. Slowly, it lowered its blaster. ~~Unbeknownst to her, it was already beginning to reprogram itself.~~ "Where is your family?"_

_The child flinched. Without meaning to, tears welled up in her eyes. "I... I don't know."_

_The robot analyzed her._

Manual reprogramming complete. Objective: protect the child.

_"Do you wish to live?"_

_Kyla gazed up at it, soft eyes glassy. "Huh?"_

_"You may choose to stay, if you wish," it said. "After all, I have terminated all remaining life in this mansion. However, your former master will not arrive until many months. The resources already in this mansion will not sustain you for long. Your chances of survival are less than twelve percent if you remain here."_

_"Then..." Her voice was so small. "What should I do?"_

_It extended a metal claw towards her. "Come with me."_

_She looked tearfully at the IG unit. "Will you protect me."_

_"Affirmative."_

_"...Do you promise not to leave me?"_

_"I promise."_

_After watching it, she finally nodded and placed her tiny hand its own. "Okay."_

[Present Day]

Kyla yawned. "It took me with it, everywhere it went. It taught me everything I know-how to shoot, how to heal, how to analyze- everything."

Din leaned towards her. "What happened to it?"

The medic folded the meal bar wrapper absentmindedly; the look in her eyes was distant, as if recounting a horrible memory long past. She said nothing.

That was enough.

As gently as he could, he pried the wrapper from her fingers. "Get some sleep. We'll be landing soon. Cantonica."

"Okay." Without another word, she slid out of her seat and stumbled to her small room.

"Kyla," he called out, just before she entered.

She turned to him, clearly fighting exhaustion.

"Thank you." He nodded at her. "For your story."

The smile on her face was droopy, yet it spoke everything that words couldn't express. She slunk into the room, and the door slid shut.

And Mando was, once again, alone, with only his racing thoughts for company.


	2. You Left Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: references to slavery and physical/sexual abuse. child abandonment. angst. implied unhappy marriage
> 
> some ooc behavior? no one really knows what young Mando was like so... yikes. also my lack of Star Wars knowledge kinda shines through here

They were in Canto Bight when _it_ happened.

Mando and Kyla were doing their best to navigate the bustling streets of the city, keeping their eyes locked on each others' forms so as to not lose one another in the masses. Even a Mandalorian sometimes just wasn't enough to part a massive sea.

But she suddenly stopped, and Din was forced to push back through the crowd in order to reach her.

And what he saw... confused him.

She was watching something, eyes wide in shock, mouth agape. Her skin was pale, damp with sweat. Whatever she was seeing, it terrified her.

"Baize?" he asked quietly, letting a hand rest on her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"I- I saw..." she stammered, gripping at his wrist tightly, to the point her knuckles turned white. "I saw..."

"Saw what?" he encouraged, squeezing her shoulder.

"...My parents," she whispered, so quiet he almost missed it. "They look just like how I remembered them."

"Baize-" he tried to say, but she slipped out of his grip and stumbled her way towards whatever it was she was seeing.

And because he wasn't too keen on leaving his partner and medic behind, he made the split decision to place the slowly dimming tracking fob in his pocket and follow her.

...In hindsight, he wished he could have pulled her back.

[...]

They ended up in a posh neighborhood. Wealth spilled into every aspect of the area- from the smooth sidewalks and roads to the lavish mansions decorated in lush gardens and precious stones of countless colors.

Mando, beneath his helmet, rolled his eyes. He would never truly be used to the wasteful showcasing of riches.

"I- I don't understand," Kyla murmured beside him, eyes fixated on a couple entering what must've been their home. "Drescant... He told me that he sold them to tibanna gas harvesters."

Bespin. Where tibanna gas was harvested by the gallon. Where workers often met an explosive end.

"What are they doing here?" she wondered. Through his helmet, it seemed as though her face was pale again. "Did they escape? Why...?" She began to tremble; he fought the urge to wrap his arms around her.

She looked so... sad.

"If they did, why didn't they come back for me?"

Mando didn't know the answer. But he eyed the mansion. "Then why don't we knock?"

So they did. The chime of the doorbell echoed behind the door.

Then, it swung open. A man gave them a nervous smile, obviously eyeing the Mandalorian with suspicion. "May I help you?"

"We're looking for someone," the medic answered. Mando noticed that her voice was trembling just slightly. "Would you happen to know anyone by the name of Kyla Baize?"

At the mention of the name, the man paled. But for some reason, he shook his head. "Never in my life."

~~Why would a parent lie about their own child?~~

She swallowed. "Don't lie to me... Father."

It worked. The man crumbled, rubbing his face with his hands and letting out a heavy sigh. "...I suppose you would want to come in."

[...]

The inside was just as lavish as the outside. The plush couches they sat on were proof of it, along with the uncomfortable silence that loomed over the four individuals as they all stared at each other. Tea and a small plate of snacks rested untouched on the multicolored transparisteel coffee table.

Now that they were up close, Din could see the family resemblance. Kyla shared the man's soft eyes and nose, while the mother had the same hair and facial structure.

But aside from that, they seemed to share nothing else in common.

"So..." the mother said finally, fingering her golden necklace. "You've come." She eyed the Mandalorian with obvious curiosity. "And you've brought a warrior with you."

He fought the urge to sigh. He knew what was behind her voice, and he wanted no part of it.

Apparently, the husband caught onto it, and cleared his throat. "Kyla... you must have questions."

"Just a thousand." Her voice was so brittle; through his filter, he could see how erratic her heartbeat was. "How did you leave Drescant?"

The mother sighed. "What did he tell you?"

"That you were sold to Bespin miners. To harvest the gas."

"Well, he wasn't lying." The father ran a hand through his hair, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead. "We were sold off to one of his trader friends of the Empire; they needed more workers at the mines to supply ship fuel, and he paid handsomely."

"And you... didn't take me?" she asked. ~~She sounded so small; he hated it.~~

"Drescant offered to let you come with us," he acquiesced. "But we thought that maybe... it'd be safer to leave you behind. Tibanna gas isn't easy to harvest, or safe. It wasn't good for children."

"We managed to work our way up," the mother continued, fiddling with the handle of her teacup. "Within years, we became the masters of the company. And now we live here."

Kyla's hands trembled. "And you decided... I wasn't worth coming back for?"

"Kyla..." the man whispered, his hands wringing together. "Please understand. We... we were scared. We were terrified that- even with our new wealth- we would be forced back into slavery."

"Even when you're free," the woman mused, "you never forget that you were chained."

"But it was okay for me to be chained?" she continued. Her voice held so much bitterness that even Din's mouth tasted sour.

"It's not like that, dear-"

"Don't _ever_ call me that." She stood up so abruptly, her knees banged on the table. Tea sloshed out of cups, and small cookies fell to the floor. "I've heard enough."

"We were so young when we had you," the woman said, still eyeing the Mandalorian. "We weren't ready to be parents at the time. We thought it'd be better for everyone if you stayed where you were safe."

"Safe. Right." Her eyes held so much hatred; it made him nervous. "I sure felt safe while I was being whipped to death. I sure felt safe while he touch-" Tears now spilled down her cheeks, and she forcefully scrubbed them away. "While he _touched_ me."

Both parents stared at their feet. They had nothing to say- nothing would be able to ease the broken bond between parent and child.

"We never forgot about you," the man whispered. "We never meant to hurt you. Forgive us."

"...No." And with that, she stormed away, the door slamming shut with a loud bang that made the two flinch.

Mando rose from his seat and strode toward the exit. He was no longer needed in this house.

"Wait! Please." The man stood and walked toward him. Behind his back, the woman stared, crossing her legs together.

He didn't care for their excuses. Silence was more than they deserved.

"There's nothing for you to say," the man rushed on. "Just please... look after her."

"She already is looking after herself." He turned his back on the miserable couple and made his way out of the mansion.

Kyla was nowhere to be seen. His best guess was that she returned to the ship.

But when he reached the Crest, she wasn't there. He searched the entire place from cockpit to cargo hold to her room. Nowhere.

His heart sank.

Where could she be?


	3. Parent

It took him hours of digging through extravagant casinos and swarms of people to finally find her sitting in a small cantina, sipping on some drink that glowed in multicolor.

Mando sighed, walked over to her, and rested a hand on her shoulder. He didn't like the fact that she trembled under his touch. "Let's go."

She shook her head, hair shaking vigorously with each turn. "No."

"This isn't the time to get drunk."

"I'm not-" she hiccuped, before letting out a loud belch, "...drunk."

"You're drunk."

"Am not."

"You are." Sliding a generous amount of credits towards the twitchy bartender, he slid his hands under her arms and hoisted her on his shoulder. "We're leaving."

"Nooooo," she whined, weakly thumping his back with her fists. "Leave me alooooone!"

"No."

"What the fuck is your problem?!" she finally yelled. "Just leave me here, you fucking ass!"

He sighed, knowing full well that she didn't really mean any of it. Without another word, he carried her out of the cantina and back toward the ship.

As he continued to walk, she slowly began to lose energy. The impact of her fists on his armor slowed, her screams died down to whimpers, and finally to sniffles.

Oh, wonderful. She was about to cry.

He hurried.

[Hours Later...]

After launching the ship into hyperspace, he set the Crest on autopilot and descended down to the cargo hold, stopping in front of her room.

From inside, he could faintly hear her muffled sobs.

Din's chest tightened at the sound. For a moment, he thought about knocking, unable to bear seeing her go through something so heartbreaking alone.

But he kept his hands clenched at his sides. This wasn't his family matter; he had enough memories of his own to deal with. And he knew firsthand that some paths had to be walked alone. 

...Yet it still hurt to walk away from her.

[...]

_"You must hide. Quickly," the former bounty hunter droned. It pointed a metallic claw towards a nearby cave. "Go now."_

_"What's happening, Seven?" Yong Kyla asked. "Why are all these people following us?"_

_"I am afraid one of us may have a bounty on our heads," it replied, swiveling one of its turret eyes at the teenager. "Searching... Searching... Wanted: Kyla Baize- age: 15; species: human; sex: female. Issued by order of Tobblerine Drescant."_

_The girl trembled. He had returned. He was coming for her. She would feel the chains back on her neck, feel the metal cutting into her wrists._

_"...No. I don't wanna go back." She turned desperately to the droid. "I can't go back there!"_

_"Affirmative. This is unacceptable. I will hold off the attackers, and you will escape."_

_"No!" she cried out, yanking at the robot's arm. "Let's just run! You can't fight them all at once!"_

_"I still have my security protocols." It snatched up its blasters with its claws, handing them to her. "Once I terminate, you must prepare to defend yourself."_

_Kyla stared at the guns with a horrified expression and backed away. "No. I'm not taking them."_

_"You must," it said, with its infinite patience. "I am afraid this will be the last time I will be able to protect you. You must now survive on your own."_

_"I- I can't!"_

_"You will be fine." It slowly ran a claw through the ends of her hair. "Trust in yourself. Use what I taught you."_

_"I won't leave you!" she cried- one last attempt to convince it to run away with her._

_"Take these." It offered her the blasters once more. "Use them. As they were mine, they are now yours."_

_Now she was unable to stop the tears from flowing. With shaking hands, she grasped the blasters and slid them into her holsters, then slowly turned to face the cave._

_But just before she reached the entrance, she backtracked and nearly tackled the droid in a fierce hug. "I love you," she managed to croak before running back._

_The droid didn't respond, but the way it watched her until the top of her head disappeared into the darkness was all she needed to know that it felt something in return._

[...]

Kyla's head ached. It felt like a spiral driver had been repeatedly stabbed between her eyes. And the memories that came with each impact certainly didn't help her brain. 

A small groan escaped her lips. Her mouth felt exceedingly dry. Maker, going to that cantina was a mistake.

A soft knock came from the other side of the door, and she flinched. "Baize? Are you up?" Mando's voice called out gently. "May I come in?"

"...Yeah," she replied, sliding a hand over her face and giving her cheek a few slaps to further jolt herself awake. 

The door slid open, and standing in the harsh light of the ship was the Mandalorian himself, a small cup in his gloved hands. He made his way over to her, giving her the cup. "Drink."

Gratefully, she swallowed the contents, the cool water soothing on her itchy throat. Her tear-swollen eyes blinked at him in confusion. "What happened?"

"You were drunk in the cantina. I brought you here." His tone was matter-of-factly, but not judgmental. "But I think that the rest is something you know... if you can tell me."

Oh. Right. Her... parents.

All her life, she'd dreamed of reuniting with them. Or at the very least, finding some sense of closure if they had died.

She never expected them to have just... abandoned her. They left her behind because she was a _burden._ Because her life wasn't as important to them as their own.

Drescant had been right the entire time. They never loved her. They would never love her.

She breathed heavily. Mando had sat on a nearby stool, simply watching her.

And she realized that she had voiced her thoughts out loud. Like a knifing idiot.

"...I'm sorry," he murmured, handing her a small handkerchief for her runny nose. His gloved hand brushed against hers. "You must be in pain."

"Is it that obvious?!" she snapped at him, before burying her face in her hands. "I'm sorry; that wasn't fair." He didn't deserve to face her wrath; it wasn't his fault.

"It's fine," he was quick to say to her. "You have every right to feel angry."

"I thought they loved me," Kyla finally said, her voice trembling with every word. "I always hoped that, somewhere, they were thinking about me. And now that I know that it was never true..." Furiously, she wiped away her tears. "I mean, it's not like I needed them. Honestly, Seven was more of a parent to me than them. It took me in and raised me, trained me, gave me love- or, something like it. And what did they give me?"

"Kyla."

"Nothing, that's what! In the end, that's all they really are, right?! Just a bunch of deadbeats who don't care about anything but themselves-"

"Kyla."

She was ranting now; they both knew it. But once she got started, she found it impossible to shut her mouth.

"Just think about it! If they didn't want me, then why didn't they just- I don't know- get rid of me?! Why did they have to bring me into the world only to decide that I wasn't worth keeping around?! It's not like I asked to be born; it's not like I wanted to live!"

"Kyla..." Din's voice was soothing as he slowly reached out to her, having removed his gloves. His hands were large as they gently grasped her small ones. "It's okay."

She choked, and she could taste salt in her mouth as tears dripped onto their linked fingers. She felt empty. Utterly, hopelessly _empty_. "I don't feel okay."

"That's okay." Slowly, with patience as endless as the galaxy, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, tugging her close to his armored chest. "It's okay to feel bad."

She weakly grabbed onto the edge of his chest plate. Her heart felt like it was about to break at the seams. "I don't want to cry anymore!"

"You can cry. If you want to." A warm hand ran down her back, tracing small circles onto her clothed skin. "It's okay to cry."

Her chest heaved as she began to hiccup. The tears wouldn't stop, and at this point, she felt like it never would. "I... I feel so alone!"

"I'm here," he whispered, his helmet effectively covering the way he silently wept for her. "I'm here."

Kyla Baize wailed.

And Din Djarin felt so utterly, hopelessly _sad._


End file.
